Showing posts with label Masters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Masters. Show all posts

Monday, 18 May 2015

Earthquakes Do Not Kill People, Improperly Designed Structures Do!

Earthquakes Do Not Kill People, Improperly Designed Structures Do!

Earthquake is a natural calamity, which can occur any time anywhere. Buildings raised on stilts,with no walls in the ground storey — are more likely to collapse. Therefore, the Buildings must be built in such a way that they are safe during and after such occurrence.


Nepal Earthquake Tragedy – Why did the quake cause so much damage?

12th May 2015 - Magnitude 7.3

25th April 2015 – Magnitude 7.8







Nepal is located in South Asia, home to one fifth of humanity and one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world.  The region experiences some 100,000 minor quakes every year, and one of magnitude 8 or greater every 25 years. Yet lax building standards densely populated urban centers and poorly planned towns make the region's people extremely vulnerable to the fallout from tremors.

 “Most of the newly built houses that were destroyed by the earthquake in the commercial areas of Kathmandu had not followed the prescribed building code”, authorities have said.

Scores of houses that collapsed in places like Gongabu, Balaju, Kalanki, Thamel and Chabahil areas had initially acquired clearance to build two- or three-storey structures for residential use.

But the buildings were gradually transformed into high-rises without fulfilling the legal and technical requirements after the areas turned into commercial hotspots.


Read more at - http://www.masterspmc.com/blog/114-earthquakes-do-not-kill-people-improperly-designed-structures-do

Monday, 27 April 2015

MDS – The journey that has been ……

MDS – The journey that has been ……

It has been every architects or designers dream to see his thoughts, dreams and designs being converted to reality and the joy of witnessing this happen is no less than the joy at the birth of a child felt by a parent!

It was one fine day in April 2013 when a chance meeting with some senior members of Masters Kolkata PMC team resulted in the germination of thoughts for setting up of Masters Design Studio.

After working in the architectural consultancy domain for 2 decades with reputed architects and organizations, I was looking for an opportunity to start a practice which could be my very own and where I could put to use all that I had learnt from the great masters whom I worked with.

I had been associated with the Masters Kolkata’s PMC team, as a Consultant, on multiple projects during my career and had known the team to be extremely committed and hardworking, ably led by Mr Dhruba Bhattacharya. Ms Swati Bhattacharya, who was and is still working in PMC team along with Mr Dhruba had been nurturing ideas to start a design studio within Masters and I think it was that lucky chance encounter with both of them and many subsequent meetings thereafter, discussions and strategies with Ms Puneet Alag, building business plans, plan rejections etc that we started to believe we could really start a Design studio!!

With our MD Mr Jaspreet Singh’s vision, his heartfelt support and with me as its first and only team member, MASTERS DESIGN STUDIO started its journey from Kolkata regional office from mid April 2013.

Next was building the team and the business …the team started with my very talented colleagues from prior organizations who shared the same dream of starting a design studio and also put their belief in a new venture of an organization and me - that we started building a strong team together.

The Masters Design Studio initially started with design presentations, competitions and visits to established clients and by December 2013 we got our first big project with Hiland Group , whose MD Mr. Sumit Dabriwala put great faith in us and awarded an architectural consultancy work for 6 lakh square feet of residential buildings in his flagship project Calcutta Riverside . Thus began a great journey which has now culminated in consultancy agreements for Architectural design for over a million square feet in exactly 2 years!!

Read more at - http://www.masterspmc.com/blog/111-mds-the-journey-that-has-been

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

Safety Has No Holiday

Safety Has No Holiday

This communication is to share the importance of supervision in effective safety management system in construction industry.

Even though fall of person / material from height is the biggest challenge and about 40% violations recorded on this account however inadequate passive protections, controls, failure to provide preventive safety equipment’s or   removing of such equipment’s, sub-standard materials etc. are repeat violations and unless stopped the probability will  remain as concern.

Prevention of incident is highly possible if hazard & risk involved in respective activity is communicated and verified by immediate supervisor of workmen. Effective supervision helps to ensure / minimize the severity & Probability together while safely execution at site. This is possible through processes of risk mitigation as below:


Hierarchies of safety controls shall be followed:
1st StepElimination / SubstitutionIf practicable,Eliminate the hazards altogether, or combat the risk at
source For example ・ Use a safe substance instead of dangerous one
2nd StepEngineering controlsMachine guarding,proper platforms, Acoustic enclosures, automation
instead of manual operations
3rd StepAdministrative controlsWork permit systems,Barricading, Limited access,providing training,
display of signage’s etc.
4th StepPersonal Protective
Equipment’s (PPEs)
If hazard cannot be avoided,protect yourself (It’s a last tool)


Read entire article at - http://www.masterspmc.com/blog/99-safety-has-no-holiday



About Masters


Masters is a leading Project Management company providing end-to-end solutions to the Construction Industry using the best of global standards and practices with primary focus on Real Estate sector.

Since its inception in 2004, the Company has evolved as a one-stop-shop service provider, offering a range of services to its Clients taking the project from start to finish – ranging from assisting them during per-development stages to feasibility analysis, pre-construction and construction & installation management services to all the way to a successful close out. In addition, Masters also specializes in Cost Consultancy and Design Development (Architectural as well as MEP) through their in-house team. Besides, Masters also offers Programme & Process Review Services and Quality, Cost & Safety Audit/ Monitoring Services and is well equipped to offer range of Development solutions (like turnkey, design & build, construction management at risk) to its Clients.

To know more about Project Management Consultancy, Contact us at :

Masters Management Consultants (India) Private Limited
New Udyog Mandir,
Kamanwala Chambers No.2,
Unit No. 7, Ground Floor,
Mugal Road, Mahim (West),


Friday, 20 February 2015

PMC Services for Hotel development

PMC Services for Hotel development

Tourism and hospitality, a key sector of the Indian economy, plays a key role in the growth of Brand India.It is important to realize up front that there is much more to the process than only construction and operation of the Hotel.
Traditionally, hotel opening efforts have been driven by corporate operations, invariably supported by task force teams drawn from existing hotels. This specific approach only works on a small scale and has several limitations.
The traditional approach alone cannot meet the challenges and dynamics of new hotel development on a large scale and will contribute to causing delays in the technical, operational and commercial readiness of hotel projects.
Development of Hospitality industry on a larger scale generates specific dynamics and challenges. It requires proven project management expertise to meet these challenges head on and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of opening new hotels, right from pre-construction to construction to substantial completion and then final operational stages of a hotel. 
In our view, 
A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. The temporary nature of projects indicates a project has a definite beginning and end.” (PMI, 2013).
It is important to understand that by definitions new hotel openings are essentially projects and not part of on-going hotel operations. The approach to manage them should fundamentally not be different from projects conducted in information technology, consulting, banking, telecommunications, aerospace, and other industries.
 Project management process for Hotel development includes the following:
  • Due Diligence
  • Site Assessment & Building Studies
  • Design Review & Conceptual Pricing
  • Design Team Selection, Negotiation, Contracting & Management
  • General Contractor Selection, Negotiation, Contracting & Management
  • Consultant Selection, Negotiation, Contracting & Management
  • Constructability Planning
  • Cost Analysis & Value Management
  • Budget Development & Analysis
  • Schedule Development & Analysis
  • Project Management Controls
  • Change Management
  • Quality Control and Compliance with Design Standards and Brand Standards
  • MEP System Commissioning Support
  • FF&E Procurement and Management
  • Operations and Pre-Opening Planning
  • Project Close-Out and Punch List Management
A  PMC should have the ability to oversee and manage an entire project (from design through completion of the punch list) in the most cost effective way for an owner.  It must have the expertise, the systems and right quality people which can enable the PMC to readily identify potential cost savings in design, purchasing, and construction that the operator or the developer may not know. The PMC should have in-house skill set for the identification of value-added opportunities and the detailed management of costs while maximizing the return on invested capital.
About Masters
Masters with experience of working on various Hotel developments can provide you an experienced project and construction management team whether you are building an entirely new hotel or renovating an existing one. We also offer a full breadth of consulting services to advise you about your hotel construction or renovation project.
Some of the Hospitality projects under our umbrella are:

Talk to us today!
Contact
connect[at]masterspmc[dot]com
Phone Number
+91 22 64567600

 

Thursday, 25 December 2014

Masters First One’s in every sector!!

Masters First One’s in every sector!!

Masters expanded its horizons over the years and like the first born child, the first projects in the different fields hold a special place as they are the foundation blocks which made Masters what it is now. Below we can see the first footprints of MASTERS in the individual stream.
RESIDENTIAL: Imperial Towers, Mumbai
Picture 1Oh!! MASTERS entered into the Residential Construction Industry and How. We jump started with a king size project i.e. the Imperial Towers which is touted as the highest existing Residential towers in India. The Project is a flagship residential complex - 253 meter high, 60 storey towers with the finest of amenities, at the heart of the city of Mumbai. The towers are built with state-of-the-art technology & finishes and using international standards of construction. The towers include a podium of 10 storey height which houses car parking, a luxury spa, clubhouse & recreational facilities and a triple-height entrance lobby. In addition to the luxury high rises, also developed are 18 slum rehabilitation buildings of G+14 to G+21 storey height to house 2664 families.

HOSPITALITY: Novotel, Mumbai
In April 2007 Eastern International HOTELS Ltd. announced with pleasure that they would be re-opening their flagship hotel in Juhu Beach Mumbai, India, as the new Novotel Hotel. Entering into thePicture 2 Hospitality Industry, with this Project MASTERS grabbed the opportunity to work on the renovation of complete Hotel with the BUA of 150,000 sq. ft. and Project cost of 77 Cr. Since the Hotel is based on the seafront within Coastal Regulation Zone, the structure could not be demolished, but almost the entire infill walls etc were torn down to re- house building services and customize the guest rooms, public areas and BOH areas as per the new operator's requirements. With the crucial contribution by MASTERS as the PMC the existing building was transformed it into a place ideal for business guests, as well as those on holidays. By the end of Jul 2009 on completion of Project The Novotel offered its Clients with 203 contemporary designed rooms having magnificent views of the Arabian Sea, meeting rooms seating up to 1000 participants, 4 specialty restaurants, a chic sea lounge, an outdoor pool, spa and fitness centre, it epitomizes a new approach to hospitality.

COMMERCIAL: DELL International, Hyderabad
Picture 3MASTERS tested the waters in the Commercial construction Industry and bagged the Project for Construction of the Dell International office Building located in Hyderabad. The Project was conceptualized in Jun 2005 with a Built Up Area of 6.00 Lack Sq. ft. Dell IT Campus is a 3,000-seat call centre for 24 x 7 operations. The building has a four storey entrance block, with other blocks of larger floor plate and multiple levels of parking.

SEZ PROJECTS: L&T Phoenix, Hyderabad
Masters has worked as a PMC for the L&T Phoenix Infoparks for their SEZ in Hyderabad. The project also involved building an incubation space for its tenants. The site was 25 acres of land with 9 Picture 4state of art IT/ITES buildings each with an average BUA of 250,000 Sq. ft. with a Total Project Value of 406 Cr.

RETAIL AND OFFICES: Infogain (Noida) & Wells Fargo (Hyderabad)
Masters has executed several interior fit-outs of which the interiors for Infogain at Noida, was one of the first. Infogain with a BUA of 90,000 Sq.ft is located in Noida NCR, India and Masters provided PMC and design services (Interior fit outs) for the Project. With this Masters also entered the field of Office interior fit outs with WELLS FARGO in Hyderabad. 
        picture 5                     Picture 6
Infogain, Noida                          Wells Fargo, Hyderabad

INDUSTRIAL: Metallsa, Jamshedpur
Picture 7With Commercial, Residential and hospitality projects in our hand, Industrial buildings were just another stepping stone. We commenced with working for the successful setting up of an industrial facility with BUA of 200,000 sq. ft.for a Mexican company's in their maiden venture in India for production of chasis for heavy vehicles for TATA - The complex housed a pre-engineered production building, administrative block, office, canteen etc. work.

CORPORATE OFFICE: Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad
Picture 8After successfully handling the interior fit outs of multiple offices Masters shouldered the responsibility of completing the base building and Interiors of Dr.Reddy's corporate office at Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. The building had a BUA: 179,000 sq. ft. and the total Project cost of 50 Cr.

Picture 9RETAIL MALL: Trillium Mall, Amritsar
Masters can boast about entering into the Retail Malls constructions with a fantastic project which was Trillium Mall built by Tata Group.
The 204 CR Trillium Mall located in the Civil Lines is spread over 10.5 Lac Sq.ft. of land feet devoted to shopping area. With its multiplex and banqueting facilities the Mall has been an attraction for the residents of the city residents Masters played a crucial role as the PMC in Tata Realty’s vision to serve the city and its surrounding areas, and provide the experience of grand shopping, entertainment and socializing.

Picture 10HOSPITAL PROJECTS: Breach Candy Hospital & Research Center
Masters expanded its wings towards the medical facilities sector with the interior fit outs project of Breach Candy Hospital wherein our scope include structural strengthening works, complete refurbishment of two wards and the VVIP ward for one of Mumbai’s premier Hospitals having a built up area of 1 Lac Sq.ft and project Value of 4.5 Cr.


Dharmesh Gala 
(Project Manager)
Masters Mumbai

Wednesday, 17 December 2014

PMC, as seen a decade ago

Project Management Consultancy, as seen a decade ago 

At Masters we believe in teamwork, at work and also in celebrations! As we complete 10 years this month, over the next few days we will be sharing our story of existence with you. Starting from what led to our inception, our virtues (that still hold strong today), our key contributions to the industry, what to look forward to in the next 10 years and much more insights. Stay tuned!

Read at - http://www.masterspmc.com/celebrating-10-years-of-masters/74-pmc-as-seen-a-decade-ago



As technical the term Project Management may sound to many, to my inner conscious I smile and say it to be the most simplest phrase. In very simple language, I would say Project Management, as we understand at Masters, is the process and activity of planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals in scientific or daily problems. What integrates technically here is the industry; i.e. construction.  

As we have maintained here at Masters over the last 10 years, correct application & integration of various project management processes & tools results in planning, managing and controlling various project parameters including the cost, the time, the scope and the quality, thereby delivering the product.
During this journey of 10 years of Masters, we have come across an array of experiences from various clients as regards their understanding and expectations from a Project Management Consultant and an amalgamation of these put together interests me to pen down the development in the notion of having a PMC on-board for a project.

As we closely look back, say 10 years back, at the approach/modality of Project Management, substantial changes/up-gradation are observed in today’s time. If I only talk about the very basics, in those days of a decade back, I correctly recall the existence of a PMC on ground was extremely narrow. Most Clients as well as the Contractors were not in particular aware of the role & responsibilities; keep aside the value additions, which a PMC would bring on board. Variation was felt in the understanding of the Contractors and the Client’s w.r.t the authority that a PMC team would carry, the systems that a PMC would follow and the results that would be seen. 

These differences, as we talk about briefly, have certainly brought more challenges to the PMC teams in implementing an overall Project Management system and methodologies amongst all stakeholders involved in the project. 

In the then construction industry, the PMC was by and large understood to be working as an overseer appointed by the client to examine and scrutinize contractor’s quality of work at site and certification of bill for work executed by contractor. And this, belief, was popularly termed as “Supervision Consultancy”. 

However, taking the challenge as the opportunity, the industry today understands the importance of PMC’s which is due to increasing awareness on the role & significance of PMC.

The then PMC role, as on today have evolved and emerged broadly into two categories:
  1. Technical
  2. Commercial
Project key Stakeholders have started to understand the importance both of the technical as well as the commercial roles and the value additions which a PMC brings in within the two.

 The Clients have felt the importance and have established the requirement of the technical roles addressed by PMC team with extensive involvement primarily in the process of Project Design Management, Procurement & Contracts Management, Planning Management, & Construction Process Management in one hand and Q.S. and Cost Management as part of Commercial Management on the other hand. 

However, in the last 10 years, Project Management did not stop here and have moved a step ahead. A PMC team today understands that besides their primary role to complete the project within the desired time, cost and quality they are also responsible for continuous development with particular emphasis on Project Integration Management, Project Communication Management, Risk Management, Stakeholder Management etc. 

With this continuous evolution of PMC service in Construction industry, we at Masters have always put our best endeavor to ride through a learning curve and maintained our services at par with the best industry standards and practices. Development and up gradation of Project Specific Procedure (PSP) of Masters in the recent past has been a step towards such an effort in maintaining the pace for development of PMC services. 

Masters is proud to have been a part of this most important decade for the industry which has seen the establishment of requirements and significance of PMC. 


Saikat Majumdar              (AGM)                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Masters Kolkata                                                                                                                   

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Project Management as the Client's Representative

Project Management as the Client's Representative


As Client’s Representative, a PMC (Project Management Consultant) provides comprehensive management and coordination of all project activities at all stages of development; starting from pre-development, pre-construction, development & construction and post-construction.

The primary role of a Client's Representative is to ensure that all stakeholders discharge their responsibilities in a manner that serves the Client's overall interest. Acting as an extension of the Client, Client’s Representative monitors and coordinates the efforts of all members of the Project Team in order to enable  to achieve maximum value for each dollar spent by the Client.

Design and Construction Projects typically require the services of a team of professional consultants and the work of construction contractors and other vendors, all of whom work as associates on the project. Each associate of the project team has responsibility only for their particular expertise. No architect, consultant, contractor or vendor shares the Client's comprehensive scope of interest, with the exception of the Client's Representative, role of which is undertaken by MASTERS.

We at MASTERS, with our technical and managerial expertise plan and direct the project team towards success.

Our proactive approach encourages designers, consultants, contractors and vendors to work together to achieve the Client’s quality, cost and schedule objectives. By building positive working relationships among the project team members, we facilitate timely resolution of the problems and conflicts that are intrinsic to the design and construction process.

Our documentation system creates a thorough and complete project record. Starting with an initial project plan that articulates the project scope, schedule and budget parameters, we create a series of clear and concise reports that monitor and track all project activities. We use these documents as management tools for the project team, as a means to communicate project progress and as components of the permanent project record. 

We adapt the type and level of our services to fit the unique needs and requirements of each client.
Our Client's Representative assignments range from comprehensive management services throughout all project phases to specific tasks of short duration. 

Masters provides following range of services, individually or in any combination; as per Client’s requirements:


We have a proven track record of assisting our clients to achieve substantial reductions in construction costs without sacrificing construction quality.

 

About Masters PMC

Masters is a leading Project Management company providing end-to-end solutions to the Construction Industry using the best of global standards and practices with primary focus on Real Estate sector.


Since its inception in 2004, the Company has evolved as a one-stop-shop service provider, offering a range of services to its Clients taking the project from start to finish – ranging from assisting them during pre-development stages to feasibility analysis, pre-construction and construction & installation management services to all the way to a successful close out. In addition, Masters also specializes in Cost Consultancy and Design Development (Architectural as well as MEP) through their in-house team. Besides, Masters also offers Programme & Process Review Services and Quality, Cost & Safety Audit/ Monitoring Services and is well equipped to offer range of Development solutions (like turnkey, design & build, construction management at risk) to its Clients.



To know more about Project Management as Client's Representative for Construction projects in India, Contact us at :



Masters Management Consultants (India) Private Limited

New Udyog Mandir, 

Kamanwala Chambers No.2,

Unit No. 7, Ground Floor,

Mugal Road, Mahim (West),

Mumbai - 400 016

Email : connect@masterspmc.com

Thursday, 11 September 2014

Role of PMC (Project Management Consultants) in Construction Industry



The construction industry generally deals with the various types of construction sectors viz Real Estate & Infrastructure. Real Estate Sector is segmented in Residential, Industrial, Corporate, and Commercial. Whereas Infrastructure sector in Roads, Railways, Urban Infrastructures, Ports, Airports and Power. 

To manage such kind of unique projects requires an expertise with organizations and a thorough body of knowledge. Project Management Consultancy plays multifaceted part in such projects and provides the services from inception to completion of projects. At every stage of project life cycle, the principles of pro-activeness and creating the win-win situation is necessary keeping in mind the customer / client’s requirements. Use of Project Management Consultancy (PMC) offers one of the effective management solution to increase and improve the efficiency and outcome of a project in construction. 

Project Management Consultants manage the Project by application of their Knowledge, Skills, and Experience at various stages. However, at the same time PMC also has to face various challenges like Design Issues, Constructability Issues, Long lead material Issues, Inter Contractor Coordination Issues, Engineering Issues, Safety Issues, etc which can be tackled only by a well organized approach of the PMC. 

A well organised PMC approach also includes adopting various types of tools for the higher management like Reporting dashboard, Round table progress Review and conduction of brainstorming sessions, training on various field, design – construction interface, regular quality audits, quality diligence & delivery sessions in team.

In addition to above Project Management Consultancy is most effective and efficient when it is involved in Total Project Life Cycle from Conception to Closeout. Awareness of various Processes involved in Project Management and detail study of multiple constraints of project like Time-Cost-Risk-Scope-Quality-Resource are an integral part of any project management consultancy. 

We at MASTERS are committed to Conforming to highest standards in construction!

Under our Project Management Consultancy service, we undertake a planned series of activities and design them in synchronization with our customer’s requirements, whenever we go on board with new projects. This includes overall planning, coordination, monitoring and controlling of a project from inception to completion in order to produce a functionally and financially viable project that will be completed on time, within authorized cost and to the required quality standards.

Some of our Project Management Projects are as under:
- The Imperial, Mumbai
- Novotel, Mumbai
- Trilium Mall, Amritsar
- Movie Towers, Hyderabad

About Masters PMC

Masters is a leading Project Management company providing end-to-end solutions to the Construction Industry using the best of global standards and practices with primary focus on Real Estate sector.


Since its inception in 2004, the Company has evolved as a one-stop-shop service provider, offering a range of services to its Clients taking the project from start to finish – ranging from assisting them during pre-development stages to feasibility analysis, pre-construction and construction & installation management services to all the way to a successful close out. In addition, Masters also specializes in Cost Consultancy and Design Development (Architectural as well as MEP) through their in-house team. Besides, Masters also offers Programme & Process Review Services and Quality, Cost & Safety Audit/ Monitoring Services and is well equipped to offer range of Development solutions (like turnkey, design & build, construction management at risk) to its Clients.

To know more about Project Management Consultancy, Contact us at :

Masters Management Consultants (India) Private Limited
New Udyog Mandir, 
Kamanwala Chambers No.2,
Unit No. 7, Ground Floor,
Mugal Road, Mahim (West),
Mumbai - 400 016
Email : connect@masterspmc.com